Determining the optimal surgical timing for isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction remains challenging, particularly regarding the relationship between persistent instability and secondary intra-articular pathology. Establishing causality between delayed reconstruction and intra-articular injury prevalence is difficult due to methodological limitations, specifically due to the limited feasibility of distinguishing injuries sustained at the time of PCL injury from those that develop during chronic PCL deficiency. We propose that future investigations benefit from rigorous documentation of baseline imaging timing and findings, thorough reporting of non-surgical treatment protocols, and robust statistical methods. We recommend early PCL reconstruction for young, high-demand patients with persistent functional instability or laxity despite structured rehabilitation, while patients with lower activity demands responding favorably to non-surgical treatment may benefit from careful follow-up with delayed reconstruction reserved for those developing recurrent instability.
Zsidai et al. (Thu,) studied this question.